Cashiers
Cashiers are like the Rodney Dangerfields of the retail industry — they get no respect. Many businesses treat them merely as entry-level employees, and so that’s what they get — clock punchers who simply ring up orders, take money, swipe credit cards, and bag the goods. Managers who treat their cashiers with respect realize that they can be profit centers for the business.
This is particularly true in respect to multicultural customers. As profit cen- ters, cashiers can benefit your business in at least two ways:
They can treat multicultural customers the way they want to be treated to keep them coming back.
They can perform field research, recording the changing demographic, asking customers questions (such as whether the customer was able to find everything she was shopping for), and sharing the information with managers and other departments. (See Chapter 2 for more about asking important questions of customers.)
To tap the full potential of your cashiers, train them in cross-cultural relations and reward them for their efforts in collecting and providing you with valuable market data. See “Offering a crash course in cultural competency,” later in this chapter, for guidance in training your staff.
Even a vendor or subcontractor
Receptionists
Receptionists in service organizations can be vital to closing sales to multi- cultural customers. From the first meeting forward, customers judge your organization by how well it treats people. In the office of a doctor, accountant, attorney, travel agent, or other service provider, the first person “treating people” is the receptionist.
Provide your receptionist with the training required to achieve cultural com- petency. If your receptionist can speak a few words in the language of the customers you’re trying to attract, this is an added bonus. If she’s fluent, so much the better.
Customer service
As a customer, how often have you dealt with a company’s customer service personnel and decided to never buy anything from that company again based on your negative experience? If you’re like most people, you’ve probably had more than one such encounter. You may have bought the best product from the best company and loved the salesperson, but one bad experience with customer service eclipsed all of your previous good feelings for the company.
That’s how important customer service is, so provide these frontline employ- ees with the necessary training, as explained later in this chapter, in the sec- tion “Offering a crash course in cultural competency.”
One factor that can wield a strong influence over your customer service department’s attitude toward multicultural customers is the type of feedback it receives from these customers. Not all cultures have the same outlook when it comes to commenting on experiences with service providers. For example:
Many Asians are reluctant to give a score of ten on a ten-point scale on satisfaction surveys because, as a collectivist culture, they may not want to embarrass you by making you stand out from your group. They may rate you only a five or six while providing a glowing review. If you want top scores from these folks, let them know from the start that it’s impor- tant you receive the score you deserve and that you’ll lose face with your boss if you don’t. You may even joke that you “won’t be embar- rassed” by a high score if you’ve earned it. If you want to know why this is necessary, turn to Chapter 14.
People from some cultures, such as Hispanics, tend to be reluctant about expressing their complaints to customer service. Instead, they simply stop buying from you and tell their friends and family to avoid your business. Customer service personnel must be encouraged to be proactive in asking for honest feedback by asking open-ended ques- tions. They should also report any unresolved issues to management for follow-up.
Service/repair
Service people can have a dramatic impact on customer satisfaction as well as referrals that the company may receive. How they handle repairs is cru- cial. Probably the most important aspect of satisfactory service is educating the customer about not only the issue at hand, but also about preventive maintenance that can save time and money in the future.
Many ethnic customers feel guilty that they aren’t able to spend enough qual- ity time with their families. Their jobs may require them to work six or seven days a week for ten or more hours a day. They greatly appreciate when you take the time to show them how to do simple maintenance themselves to save time and money in the long run.
Information technology
IT guys and gals are known for keeping a low profile, so they’re unlikely to cross paths with any of your customers (ethnic or otherwise). They can, how- ever, certainly assist you in improving customer service; for example, you may want to track point-of-sale (POS) information a bit differently when you start a multicultural sales program. This requires the support and input of your infor- mation technology (IT) staff.
Finance
Customers from other cultures may have a completely different attitude toward financing than your longtime American customers; they may avoid it altogether. This is certainly not a problem if your customers insist on paying cash and have sufficient means to do so. However, if you’re selling big-ticket items, your financing department may play a key role in making those goods affordable. To accomplish this, they need to master cultural competency skills as well.
If you sell big-ticket items that can be financed, carefully explain your various loan programs to any customer who wants to take advantage of this option.
This is especially true of folks who don’t speak fluent English or may not be familiar with American financing rules and practices. Getting a loan for the first time can be an intimidating and frightening experience.
Manufacturing
Delivering products on time is crucial to building trust, especially with multi- cultural customers who may be more suspicious of you than your traditional clientele. To build a reputation as a reliable supplier, underpromise, overde- liver, and make sure that manufacturing follows the same approach.
Manufacturing personnel rarely interact directly with the customer, yet they can have just as profound an impact on multicultural sales as frontline staff. They must be aware of schedules and what the sales staff promised.
Manufacturing may need to be reminded of the importance of reporting any inability to meet a promised deadline to sales as soon as possible.
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Research and development
Research and development (R&D) departments in large companies can assist in identifying new opportunities in the multicultural marketplace. These folks must remain on the lookout for opportunities to adapt existing products or develop new ones to meet the needs of this new consumer. Creative compa- nies are discovering that ethnic groups have different tastes, skin color, hair types, and preferences, all of which open opportunities to sell new products and services. We go into detail on adapting your product or service to the needs of multicultural customers in Chapter 7.
Human Resources
If you received diversity training back in the ’80s or ’90s, you may be a little reluctant to go there again. Early forms of this training were usually deliv- ered by the HR department and typically contained a heavy dose of guilt — reminding attendees of all the injustices done to ethnic groups over the past 200 years or so.
The newer cultural competency training is much different. It’s marketing and sales driven and views diversity as an opportunity to serve all customers better. Unlike “diversity training,” cultural competency training is generally well received by staff members, who find it valuable in helping them interact more comfortably with customers on a daily basis.
Although your Human Resources department must be willing and eventually able to provide cultural competency training throughout the company, the staff may not be qualified quite yet to provide this training. Cultural compe- tency is a very specialized field — trainers need to know how culture can affect each department and provide guidance about how to become more accommodating to diverse clientele. This isn’t like putting on a sales or time- management seminar. Until your in-house trainers get up to speed, you may need to bring in some specialists. Here are some training companies that spe- cialize in this area:
The Diversity Training Group (www.diversitydtg.com)
EthnoConnect (www.EthnoConnect.com)
Novations (www.novations.com)
The Partnering Group (www.thepartneringgroup.com)
Convincing others of the need to change
People don’t want to be told what they already know; for example, they don’t want to hear that they should, out of the kindness of their hearts, be more
A more effective approach is to point out the potential business benefits of cultural competency for your company and everyone who’s a part of it — increased sales and profits, enhanced job security, higher customer satisfac- tion ratings, and the potential for higher pay, as well as bonuses and improved benefits.
Just as you must sell products and services to your customers, you must sell the benefits of cultural competency to your personnel. The information we provide in Chapter 2 can help you develop an effective sales presentation.
Dealing with resistance to change
No matter how well you sell the value of cultural competency to your team, you’re likely to bump heads with at least a couple of people in your orga- nization who are going to resist your efforts. These are probably the same people who oppose just about anything new, like relocating the water cooler.
People’s reasons for resisting change are usually pretty much the same:
It’s too risky. They either fear what could happen if they change, or they just prefer to stick with what’s familiar.
It’s not worth it. They don’t see the potential benefit. This is when you really have to sell the benefits of doing things differently.
They don’t get it. They have no model to follow to change their behav- ior. This is why you must implement cultural competency from the top down. Following someone else’s lead is easier than going it alone.
They’re afraid they’ll fail. To overcome this fear, show them that the road to cultural competency is paved with small adjustments, not major changes. Achieving small but measurable victories bolsters their confi- dence and willingness to adjust.
They’re afraid their job will get harder. Again, you need to sell the ben- efits of cultural competency and the fact that it will make working with all customers easier.
They’re overwhelmed. Becoming culturally competent may seem like an unnecessary burden being piled on top of an already full plate. However, people can always find time for activities they feel will benefit them — so sell it!
It’s always best to identify resistance to change before it derails your efforts.
Resistance may take many forms, including active or passive, overt or covert, individual or organized, aggressive or timid. Recognize that change can evoke deep and powerful feelings and that fear is often expressed as anger. Be will- ing to have frank discussions to let people blow off a little steam and confront their fears. Your entire staff must embrace the change on both a rational and emotional level.
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Offering a crash course in cultural competency
This book is your crash course on cross-cultural sales, but as we stress in this chapter, you need to make everyone in your company culturally compe- tent to maximize results and get everyone in the company on board. An effec- tive cultural competency training program for the entire company should, at a minimum, cover the following topics for all departments:
Development of culture: How cultures develop and their impact on the workplace, including relationships with customers.
How cultures think and act differently: Because of our uniquely
American background and experiences, we think and act differently from those outside our own culture (see Chapter 3).
The cultural lens: Americans tend to look at the world through our own lenses and, as a result, tend to believe that what others think and do dif- ferently from us is wrong. Everyone on staff needs to realize that differ- ences are merely differences. (See Chapter 3.)
The cross-cultural opportunity: By becoming culturally competent, staff members can more effectively serve customers and boost sales and profits. By presenting facts and figures about the multicultural market potential in your area (see Chapter 2), you can get staff members to buy into your plan to expand into this market and contribute to the com- pany’s success.
The cross-cultural challenge: People of color tend to want different products and services, and they establish relationships differently. By developing an understanding of other cultures, staff members are less likely to insult or disrespect customers by mistake and are more likely to help the company win customers for life as well as obtain plenty of referral business. (See Chapter 4.)
Time differences (polychronic versus monochronic cultures): How different people view time and the importance of being on time for scheduled meetings and events can seriously affect relationships and ultimately sales:
• Polychronics are group oriented and future oriented, like Hispanics, Asians, and Middle Easterners. They tend to view deadlines as suggestions rather than as impenetrable barriers, so they may not show up for appointments on time or provide loan documents in a timely fashion. They often view monochronics as aggressive and pushy when it comes to time.
• Monochronics are individualistic and present focused, like Americans, the Swiss, and Germans. Deadlines are hard and fast.
Competitiveness versus cooperation: Some cultures, such as Americans and Brits, tend to be competitive, while Hispanics and Asians are coop- erative. Cooperative cultures usually make buying decisions as a group, whereas competitive cultures are more likely to make decisions as individuals.
Individualist versus collectivist: In individualistic cultures, such as those in the U.S. (including African Americans), Australia, and England, you’re expected to look after yourself and your family. These cultures value directness and freely speak their minds. In collectivist cultures, such as Asia and Latin America, people are integrated into strong, cohe- sive groups that protect everyone in the group in exchange for unques- tioned loyalty. These cultures value harmony and tend to avoid direct confrontation. (In Chapter 11, we discuss the need to adapt your sales presentation to people from collectivist cultures. In Chapter 16, we dis- cuss the challenges of managing staff members who’ve been raised with collectivist values.)
High-context versus low-context cultures: High-context cultures, includ- ing the Japanese, Chinese, Arabs, and Greeks, rely more on context and subtle cues for communications. More is implied than overtly stated, and words are secondary to context. Low-context cultures, including Americans, Scandinavians, Germans, and the Swiss, tend to be more obvi- ous in their communications. Words are explicit and are crucial to under- standing. (See Chapter 3 for more about high- and low-context cultures.) Meeting and greeting: People don’t all meet and greet in the same way.
Frontline personnel must know how to properly welcome customers into your store or office. This important ritual sets the tone for a suc- cessful relationship between you and the client. (See Chapter 8.) Proxemics: This is the science of personal space and affects how close
you stand to another person while conversing. Proxemics may be cul- turally determined. Japanese people tend to stand the farthest away, Americans are in the middle, and Middle Easterners usually stand the closest. Letting customers set their own comfort zone is key to making them feel comfortable. (See Chapter 8.)
Physical contact: People around the world differ in the amount of physi- cal contact they make during a sales transaction. Studies show that people from the U.K. touch each other least often, while those in Puerto Rico touch each other the most. Again, staff must adjust to the level of physical contact that the customer sets. (See Chapter 8.)
Negotiating versus nonnegotiating cultures: One of the biggest chal- lenges that staff must be trained to overcome is the constant negotiating of some cultures, including Hispanics, Asians, and Middle Easterners.
They must understand that haggling is a way of life in many parts of the world, and they need to be prepared to handle it. This is so important that we devote all of Chapter 13 to it.
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You can approach the task of training your staff in any number of ways.
Having everyone on your team read this book, including Chapter 4 (on devel- oping cross-cultural competency), Chapter 8 (on greeting customers), and Chapter 14 (on honing customer service skills) ensures a basic level of cul- tural competency. If you have the resources, you can also develop your own course based on the content in this book or hire a company that specializes in diversity training, as explained earlier in this chapter. If you do decide to pro- vide your own training, make sure that your staff reads the required materials and that they practice the exercises in Chapter 8. However, recognize that cul- tural competency training requires specialized skills because it can bring out strong emotions and deep-seated prejudices. Done incorrectly, it can cause more damage than good. When in doubt, call a professional.
Implementing and Evaluating Your Plan
You have a plan to give your business a multicultural makeover. Everyone’s on board and has received at least some basic training in cultural compe- tency. You’re now prepared to put your plan into action.
In the following sections, we offer some guidance on how to more effectively implement your strategic plan and monitor it to ensure its proper and com- plete execution. We then show you how to do a postmortem to identify areas that could use some work.
To improve the potential success of your plan, have everyone involved attend and participate in a planning meeting. Draft the plan and obtain feedback from all participants. While you’re in the process of executing the plan, make sure everyone remains in contact with one another. Having a communication plan in place is a good idea; specify the preferred mode of communication (in- person meetings, videoconferences, e-mail, phone, instant messaging), how often people need to touch base, the point of contacts (people ultimately responsible for getting everything done on time), feedback channels, and any other communication issues you need to address.
Showtime! Project implementation
During the implementation phase, you and your team haven’t much more to say. You just wait for the director to holler “Action!” and then play your assigned roles and hope everything proceeds as scripted.
The only real activity the manager should have to attend to at this point is monitoring — making sure every task has been carried out and making